


Matchmaker: Pneumonia

by vaderina



Category: Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them (Movies)
Genre: M/M, Nursemaid Grindelwald, Pneumonia, Sickfic, Stubborn Graves, The aurors are an okay bunch
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-12-15
Updated: 2017-12-15
Packaged: 2019-02-15 03:22:17
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,334
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13022196
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/vaderina/pseuds/vaderina
Summary: Percival refuses to admit he's getting ill despite his aurors trying to help him. In the end they send him home and on the way he's ambushed by Grindelwald. But there's no fair victory in flooring a sick opponent so instead Grindelwald takes him home and looks after him.





	Matchmaker: Pneumonia

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Funkspiel](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Funkspiel/gifts).



> Funkz - I'm a sucker for sickfics and your prompt just sang with potential. Hope you enjoy it!

It had started off as a mild cough. The aurors noticed but Percival batted away their concerns with a gruff “I’ll be fine, you’re here to work not babysit me.” The cough lingered. It got deeper, sounded wetter. Still their worries were placated with Percival muttering about it just being a cold and not being made of sugar. He didn’t need any special treatment. They watched as each day their boss dragged himself in, a little more pale, wrapped in layer upon layer of clothes which he shed a few hours later only wrap up again as he shivered through a meeting. Nobody dared mention the idea that he might have a fever. By the time they found Percival slumped over his desk snoring softly their worries had mounted into full blown fear for their boss. His cheeks were flushed, a light sheen of sweat despite his shivers. Someone draped a blanket over his shoulders and together the aurors agreed to keep an eye on their boss.

“I’m fine.” Percival says after a semi-repressed coughing fit as he pressed a palm against his chest to hold himself together. Someone passed him a warm coffee, spiked with a pepper-up potion. Percival shook his head.

“Thank you, but not today.” They could only watch the man as his appetite disappeared, his breathing was shallow most of the time now and it looked as though only sheer stubborn will was keeping him upright.

“Boss, you look like shit.”

“I’m fine.” Percival growled but it sounded rough and the grip he had on his desk didn’t make him seem fine. There were rumours running round the department about him using a mild glamour charm to at least look presentable. He was caught again asleep at his desk and one of his aurors pressed fingers lightly to his neck and frowned. His heartbeat was far too rapid for someone who was allegedly resting.

“We’re sending him home. He needs bedrest.”

Percival resisted but when the whole department turned on him, he sheepishly agreed that maybe an afternoon at home would be a good thing – he’ll just take a few essential reports with him in case he got bored. The aurors watched the man shamble out of the building with worried looks. Someone will be by the check up on him tomorrow.

The walk home was hard work, Percival had to stop a few times and lean against a wall as he coughed more than was really healthy. Each time his chest burned bright with agony and he pushed on his ribs to try and ease it, not that it did any good.

“Prepare yourself for defeat.” A voice from behind him said. Percival turned, hand on the filthy brick wall and looked at the man with a wand levelled at him. He coughed and doubled over. Opposite him the man, Grindelwald if he wasn’t mistaken, looked at him with a frown, wand hand dropped slightly as he watched.

“Sorry.” Percival grit out and Grindelwald stalked closer, wand by his side.

“There’s no glory in defeating you like this.” He sighed dramatically. “Come on, let’s get you home.”

That was how Percival found himself carefully held through an apparition home. They passed through his wards and he was led to his bed. Grindelwald looked around at the mess. There were empty bottles of pepper-up potions piled up in the bin, a few plates of half eaten toast and undrunk cups of stale, cold coffee.

“You’re a mess Graves.” Grindelwald mutters to himself and begins to tidy up. After a few hours he heard Graves coughing in bed and went to see. The man was pale and shaking as he burrowed in under his heated blankets as he tried to seek out some warmth.

“Come on, you need to take some medication.” Grindelwald nudged his shoulder.

“M’fine. Just five more minutes.” Graves grumbled.

“You can sleep once you’ve taken these and had a little bit to eat.”

“Not hungry. Not ill.”

“Well, your glamour charms have fallen away and you look like shit. So come on, behave before I do something I will regret.” Grindelwald groused. Grumpily Graves sat up and promptly keeled forward in another coughing fit.

“You? Regrets?” Graves bit out.

“I might end up calling out a healer to you.”

“I said I’m fine.”

“And I’m a Disney princess.” Grindelwald retorted without much thought. The snort of a laugh descended into more coughing and a plaintive “ow” from Graves. “Now take your pills, eat these biscuits and be good.”

The plate was barely half empty but Graves was wilting, blinks long and eyes slow to focus back on his plate. Grindelwald took the plate and helped him lie back down comfortably.

“I did not sign up to this. I’m not a nursemaid.” Grindelwald grumbled as he cleaned the plate away and sat down in the kitchen chair with a thump. It was time to reconsider his plans. He fell asleep on the sofa and woke in the morning to coughing and someone shuffling around doing their best impression of a shambling zombie.

“Why are you out of bed?” he asked before he even looked at Graves.

“I’ve got to go to work.”

“No, pills, food and rest for you.”

“Work needs me.” Graves was such a stubborn bastard that Grindelwald rolled his eyes.

“You’re useless when you’re asleep at your desk.”

“Look, Grindelwald, I don’t know what your plan is.” Graves began.

“Gellert. At this point I think we’re on first name basis and I don’t know any more what my plan was.” Gellert sighed. “Now back to bed.”

“No.”

“Yes.” Gellert began to herd Percival back towards his bedroom. The man protested as much as he could between coughs but so much time on his feet had already drained him. “What’s so important at work that you can’t miss it?”

“There’s a meeting.” Percival grumbled.

“Fine. I’ll do it. As long as you stay here in bed and get better.” Gellert relented.

“And how do you think you, an internationally wanted dark wizard is going to waltz into MACUSA and run a meeting I’m meant to do?” Percival snorted and Gellert rolled his eyes.

“Allow me to demonstrate.” He said and muttered a spell. Immediately his features blended into Percival’s and the man was left sat on his bed gobsmacked. “Now, you have an hour to fill me in on everything I need to know. I promise to do your job properly.”

That was how Gellert ended up filling in as Percival for the following few weeks while the man slowly got better. Each night he’d bring a few choice reports home for Percival to read through and told him everything that went on in the office, from the gossip to the serious issues. One evening they were sat together on the sofa, Percival’s head pillowed on his stomach.

“You know, you aren’t so bad after all.” Percival mused.

“Thanks.” Gellert replied.

“What was your original plan? Just out of curiosity.” Percival asked, eyes closed as a gentle hand ran through his hair.

“I was going to defeat you in a glorious battle and take over your life until I could bring MACUSA down.” Percival stilled in his lap. “But then I saw you barely able to walk and, I don’t know. There’s no victory in kicking a man when he’s down.”

“Are we going to fight when I’m better?” Percival’s voice was small and full of disappointment.

“No, I don’t think so. Now that I’ve done your job for a few weeks I realise that I don’t actually want it. And, maybe, but just maybe, you might not be so bad yourself.” Gellert smiled down at Percival and was gifted a small smile in return. “I don’t suppose I could turn you to join my cause?”

Percival shook his head with a small smile.

“Then I suppose I will have to join yours.” Gellert grinned and leaned down to press a small kiss to Percival’s forehead.

 

**Author's Note:**

> Come poke me over on tumblr- @ladyoftheshrimp


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